20 Attractions to Explore Near Cardoness Castle

The Mill on the Fleet is a restored 18th century cotton mill. It is now an exhibition centre with core displays on the history and heritage of Gatehouse and the Fleet Valley. The water wheel on the gable end was used to drive the machinery to spin the cotton. Following various changes in ownership and fortune both mills finally ceased trading in the 1930s. In the 1980s the mill was restored by Dumfries and Galloway Council and opened to the public in 1991

Carrick Shore enjoys a unique rural setting and provides a romantic hideaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This delightful group of shingle and sand beaches is well off the beaten track. At low tide you can walk out from here to Ardwall Isle with its chapel and cemetery dating from around 700. Further offshore are Murray's Isles, two small uninhabited islands, home in the summer months to several thousand herring gulls and lesser black-backed gulls plus 90 pairs of cormorants, th

Mossyard is a small, sandy beach, slightly less than 100 meters long; located next to the Mossyard Holiday Park it sits at the northern end of the mouth of Fleet Bay. The beach is popular for boating, and small boats can be launched from the shore.

A beautiful and small sandy beach separated from the rest of the much larger Fleet Bay to the north by a rocky headland which is about 200 meters long. It offers excellent views of the surrounding wild and mountainous headlands and coastline.The sheltered bay, about 100 meters wide, can be used for bathing and water sports such as canoeing. However, most visitors come to the area for the fantastic walking opportunities.

Set in some of the most stunning scenery in Scotland, this family-run holiday park offers a prime location and superb facilities, including fitness facilities, swimming pool and gym, several licensed bars, Bistro and a well-stocked Convenience Store. You can enjoy dramatic views overlooking beautiful Wigtown Bay and panoramas of miles of unspoilt landscape, award-winning Auchenlarie Holiday Park is committed to continuously improving and developing with the sole goal of providing you with a fant

Cairn Holy I is the more elaborate of the two tombs. Its curving façade of standing stones once formed a backdrop to a forecourt in front of the tomb. Excavations show fires were lit here, possibly for ritual ceremonies. The tomb itself consisted of an outer and an inner compartment. The inner compartment was built as a closed box, and was probably originally roofed by a great stone slab. The outer compartment was entered through the façade.

Dhoon, sometimes known as Goat Well Bay, is a small sandy beach situated in a pleasant, wooded area looking out onto Nun Mill Bay at the mouth of the River Dee. The water is relatively shallow, and there are plenty of rock pools which can be fun to explore. The area is popular for walking, with the Senwick Shore walk easily accessed from the beach to the south of the car park.

Carsluith Castle was built by James Lindsay of Fairgirth but later passed into the hands of the Brown (Broun) family who owned it for two hundred years. Explore the well-preserved ruins of a delightful 16th-century tower house and take a look into the life of Scotland’s landed gentry after the Protestant Reformation of 1560.

Kirkcudbright Tolbooth is a historic municipal building in Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Built between 1627 and 1629 to serve the town as a centre of commercial administration, a meeting place for the council, and a prison, it was used for all these roles until the late eighteenth century when the council moved much of its business to new, larger premises they had constructed across the street; the tolbooth remained in use as a prison until the early nineteenth century, after

An eighteenth century house with a twentieth century garden by the Artist E A Hornel, who lived here from 1901-33. He was interested in oriental art and the garden reflects this taste. Since 1997 it has been in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and is maintained as "a living museum of Hornel’s life and work". The house is a category A listed building, and the gardens are included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.

The Harbour Cottage Trust was established in the former 'Harbour Inn' in 1957 and acquired a small collection. The building is now run as a gallery hired out to individual artists and exhibitors. The ‘gallery-run’ Summer and Autumn Exhibitions feature mainly local professional and amateur artists by invitation. An annual ‘Open’ Exhibition, aimed at encouraging and supporting new and developing artists, takes place early Summer and is open to any artist over the age of 16 wherever they live.

MacLellan's Castle in the town of Kirkcudbright, in Galloway, Scotland, was built in the late 16th century. It stands in the centre of Kirkcudbright, on the south side of the River Dee which flows into the Solway Firth. The L-plan castle was the residence of the MacLellan family from whom it derived its name. The family sold the castle in 1752, and from 1782 to 1912 it was held by the Earls of Selkirk. Today, the site is curated by Historic Environment Scotland.

The Stewartry Museum is a local museum in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, which covers the history of this part of Galloway. It tells the fascinating history of the Stewartry, the eastern part of Galloway. Its collections chiefly relate to the human and natural history of the Stewartry, the eastern half of Galloway also known as Kirkcudbrightshire. The social history collections of the 18th and 19th century are particularly important and offer a fascinating insight into Stewartry.

Kirkcudbright Galleries is located in a B listed 19th century landmark building in St Mary Street in the heart of Kirkcudbright’s historic town centre and within the wonderful landscape of Dumfries and Galloway. The gallery displays an extensive collection of works by Kirkcudbright Artists. It also displays an exciting range of temporary exhibitions throughout the year of historic and contemporary works lent by galleries and private collections from all over the UK.

The Gem Rock Museum is home to many fine and rare examples of crystals found in Britain, as well as a brilliant set of exquisitely cut replicas of the world’s largest diamonds. The museum is more than just a static display - it is a fully interactive experience which the whole family will enjoy: see the AV 'Fire in the Stones' audio-visual display, explore the amazing Crystal Cave, relax in the Professor's Study or test your knowledge with a geology quiz.

Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve is one of the wildest places in south-west Scotland – but is still surprisingly accessible. It’s a paradise for walkers, with panoramic views over a patchwork landscape of muted colours. It is home to the most extensive area of open moorland in Galloway, and has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The summit and eastern flanks of the mountain are designated as a national nature reserve, which is managed by NatureScot

A majestic and beautiful historical castle situated on an island in the middle of the River Dee, this formidable castle is only reachable by boat. This massive tower house was built in the late 14th century by Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway. It became the stronghold of the Black Douglases and still today, round its base you can see the artillery fortification, an innovative defence years ahead of its time

Kirroughtree Forest is located near Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland and overlooks the Irish Sea. It is managed by Forestry and Land Scotland and is part of the Galloway Forest Park. It has been developed as a centre for mountain biking trails. Palnure Burn is a small river which runs through the forest and on into the River Cree. The forest is home to red squirrels, red deer and ospreys.

Bladnoch Distillery is one of the oldest Scotch Whisky distilleries in Scotland. It was their 203 year old home where our finest Single Malts are crafted. The visitor centre is excellent and one of the best ways to see how whisky was made in the past. In relation to the Scottish Single Malts the distillery produces they are mostly famous for the Bladnoch 10 Year Old and Bladnoch 15 Year Old.

Threave House was built by William Gordon, a Liverpool businessman who had bought the Threave Estate as a summer home for his extensive family in 1867. He preferred this location for the house to the lower parts of the estate extending to the River Dee and including Threave Island and Threave Castle. There is also a visitor centre and plant centre. The wider estate is managed as a nature reserve and is home to bats and ospreys, and includes part of the Loch Ken and River Dee Marshes Special Prot